- Name: Quinoa
- Type of Food: Pseudo grains
- Produced From: Chenopodium quinoa
- Total Calories: 120 (100 gram serving)
- Total Fat: 1.9 grams (100 gram serving)
- Total Protein: 4.4 grams (100 gram serving)
- Total Carbohydrates: 21.3 grams (100 gram serving)
29 Quinoa Facts for Kids
- Quinoa is a food grown and consumed by humans.
- Quinoa is the seeds of the flowing plant Chenopodium quinoa.
- The quinoa plant is native to Andean region in South America.
- Quinoa is considered a pseudo cereal because it comes from a flowering plant instead of grass.
- Andean people domesticated and started eating quinoa around three to four thousand years ago.
- The rising popularity of quinoa as a food between 2006 and 2013 has caused its price to triple.
- According to FAOSTAT, the world produced over 175 thousand tons of quinoa in 2018
- According to FAOSTAT, the largest producer of quinoa in 2018 was Peru with over 94 thousand tons.
- Based on FAOSTAT data, Peru produced over 79% of the supply of quinoa in 2018.
- Based on FAOSTAT data, Peru and Bolivia combined produced around 99% of the supply of quinoa in 2018.
- The composition of raw quinoa is 13% water, 64% carbohydrates, 14% protein and 6% fat.
- The composition of cooked quinoa is 72% water, 21% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and 2% fat.
- Quinoa is a rich source of nutrients and vitamins.
- One 100 gram serving of quinoa contains 20% or more of the recommended Daily Value of dietary fiber, protein, multiple B vitamins, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 222 calories.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 3.6 grams of fat.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains no cholesterol.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 13 milligrams of sodium.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 39 grams of carbohydrates.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 5.2 grams of dietary fiber.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains no sugar.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 8.1 grams of protein.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 31 milligrams of calcium.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 318 milligrams of potassium.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 3 milligrams of iron.
- One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 9 milligrams of vitamin A.
- In 2013, it was declared the International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations General Assembly.
- In 2017, researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia successfully sequenced the genome of quinoa.
- In North America, quinoa crops are susceptible to leaf miner insects and can cause major crop damage.
Pictures of Quinoa
A picture of a spoon of quinoa.Credit: Ghetty Images
A picture of a quinoa salad.Credit: Ghetty Images
A picture of a quinoa egg bowl.Credit: Ghetty Images
Additional Resources on Quinoa
- Facts About Quinoa – Learn about quinoa’s nutrition facts on the USDA FoodData Central website.
- Facts About Quinoa – Discover more amazing facts about quinoa on the Live Science website.
- Health Benefits of Quinoa – Find out the health benefits of eating Quinoa on the Eating Well website.
- Quinoa – Wikipedia – Read more about quinoa, its history and production on the Wikipedia website.